Being a mindful home-schooler is quite an undertaking.
Homeschooling parents have many plates to juggle; educating their children,
keeping up with housework, and oftentimes working outside the home as well.
It's hard to stay mindful when life is so busy. Implementing mindfulness into
everyday homeschooling life can be a challenge, but it can be done.
Many homeschooling parents are meticulous planners and often
find themselves planning their next learning experience rather than actually
experiencing the learning alongside their child. Sometimes you just have to
throw the planner by the wayside and take advantage of the teachable moments
that are happening right now. Your child is learning in every moment whether it's
through a carefully crafted experiment that you have researched for hours or
whether they are outside studying an anthill. Take time to enjoy this moment
with them, because you will never have it back. These little moments of each
day are a gift you will treasure for the rest of your life. Mindfulness helps
us stay in the present moment and that is in fact where the learning is
happening.
If you still find yourself rushing through life, here are a
few tips to bring yourself back to the present moment:
- When you find yourself frazzled, stop and take ten mindful breaths.
- Use mundane everyday tasks to employ mindfulness; like washing the dishes, vacuuming, or preparing meals.
- Go outside! Nothing brings you back to the present like immersing yourself in nature.
- Stop and listen to your child. Really listen.
Once you have had a chance to slow down and experience life
with your children you can pass on the mindfulness practice to them. Children
are naturally mindful, but we can help them focus even more by implementing
mindful activities with them each day. Inner Explorer has a wealth of resources
that the homeschooling parent can implement each day to help their children
learn and benefit from mindful activities.
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